Chair



Feb. 9, 1943.. E. T. TODD 2,310,476

CHAIR Filed Feb. 3, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l J 7 3mm JAKW, W

Patented Feb. 9, 1943 UNiTED sra'rss CHAIR Edwin T. Todd, Grand Rapids,Mich, assignor to American Seating Company, Grand Rapids, Mich, acorporation of New Jersey ApplicationFebruary 3, 1939, Serial No.254,357

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to chairs and more particularly to a chairhaving a reclining back. The chair herein shown and described is amodification of the chair structure shown in my copending applicationfiled January 27, 1939, Serial No. 253,063.

The primary objects of the instant invention are to provide a chair ofthe general character above indicated having means for adjustably fixingthe back thereof at a selected angular inclination; to provide such achair whose angu- I larly adjustable back is normally caused to betilted forwardly but which may be caused to be tilted rearwardly toselective angular disposition by an occupant thereof; to provide such achair which is particularly adapted for installation in motor buses,railway coaches and airplanes; to provide such a chair whose operatingmechanism is simple and compact, hidden from view and efiicient inoperation; and, to provide such a chair which is attractive inappearance, light in weight yet rugged in construction, comfortable inuse and reasonably economical in manufacture.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the chairframe and the operating mechanism for controlling the adjusted angularinclination of the back thereof;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view thereof viewed from adifferent angle;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary rear elevational view of the supporting frameof a pair of chairs disposed side by side and showing the pivotalconnections between the tiltable chair backs and their supporting frame;

Figure 4 is a sectional view on lines 4-4 of Figures 3 and 5; and

Figure 5 is a sectional view on lines 5-5 of Figures 3 and 4.

Referring then to the drawings wherein like parts of the structure shownare designated by the same numerals in the several views, a frame for apair of chairs disposed side by side and of a character particularlyadapted for installation in motor buses, railway coaches or airplanes,comprises a pair of spaced horizontally disposed members It, i I, hereshown as formed of tubular stock, to provide for rigidity at lightweight, respectively supported above the floor and adjacent theiropposite ends by front legs l2 and rear legs I 3, likewise of tubularconstruction.

Arm supports I4, here shown as castings, are disposed on opposite sidesof the frame and are secured inwardly of their forward ends to the wereopposite ends of the front member ll) whose respective ends are eachembraced by an apertured boss [5 integrally formed with the armsupports. Each arm support is likewise secured to an end of the rearmember I l whose respective ends are each embraced by an aperturedspider member I5 disposed medially of the upper and lower portions of anarm support and integrally cast therewith.

A bowed intermediate rear leg ll likewise of tubular stock supportsv therear tubular member ll medially of its length and an upwardly projectingportion thereof is provided at its upper end with a bracket l8 to whoseopposite sides a pair of spaced U-shaped back supports I9 are pivotallysecured adjacent their inner lengths, all as hereinafter moreparticularly described. I

The outer vertical length of each U-shaped back support is likewisepivotally supported on a bearing member 20 (Figure 3) carried on theupper portion of each arm support I4 at the rear thereof, as hereinaftermore particularly described, to thus permit independent forward andrearward tilting movement of each back support. Upholstered backs, notshown, are carried by each U-shaped back support and the opposite sidesof each back support are provided with secured angle iron brackets 2!.Upholstered seat cushions, not shown, are mounted on the front and rearmembers Ill, l I in any suitable manner and a horizontally disposedtorque tube 22 secured interjacent the vertical lengths of each U-shapedback support provides for rigidity and against torsional twist of theback support relative to its frame.

The lower end of each outer bracket 2| is provided with an arcuate rack23 secured thereto as by rivets 24 and a pinion 25 pivotally mounted ona plate 26 secured to the arm support M and within its confines is indetachable meshing engagement with the arcuate rack 23. A triangularlyformed plate 21 is pivotally mounted at one of its corners to the plate26 and a link 28 pivotally connected at one end to the free end of thepinion 25 is pivotally connected at its other end to a rod 29 whoseopposite end is secured to another corner of the triangular plate 21. ABowden control 3% secured at one end to the third corner of thetriangular plate 21 has its flexible tubular casing 2| fixedly securedat its inner end to the plate 26 and at its outer end to the upperportion of the arm support Hi. Manual pressure on the knob 32 againstthe tension of the coiled contraction spring 33 provides for tilting ofthe triangular plate 21 to effect disengagement of the pinion 25 fromthe arcuate rack 23 in instances wherein selective angular adjustment ofthe back support is desired by the occupant of the chair.

Means for eifecting a forward tilting movement of the back support whenthe pinion 25 is out of meshing engagement with the rack 23 and operableindependently of the rack and pinion, comprises the pivot structure bestshown in Figures 4 and 5. As shown therein, each U-shaped back support I9 is provided with a pair of aligned cup members 34, each set into andsecured within an oppositely disposed vertical length thereof as by theangle iron bracket 2|. An inner member 35 disposed within each cupmember 34 in spaced relation to its circumferential inner wall, isprovided with a pair of oppositely projecting studs 36, 31, the stud 36of each member 35 being seated Within an axially disposed bearingaperture of its cup member and the screw threaded stud 31 of each member35 is rigidly secured either to the bracket l8 or to a bearing bracket20 as by the nut 39 screw threadedly tightened upon the stud 37.

Bridging the space between the outer surface of each inner member 35 andthe inner surface of each spacedly surrounding cup member 34 is a fillerof resilient material 40 such as rubber vulcanized to or highlycompressed between said surfaces.

Operation In instances wherein the chair back and its support have beenpivotally mounted on the frame in its extreme forwardly movableposition, the manual pressure release of the pinion from its rackpermits the occupant of the chair to thereafter adjustably fix the chairback at a selected angular. inclination and against the radialstretching of the resilient filler.

Thus it is seen that the tiltable chair back will be caused to return toa forwardly tilted position from its previously rearwardly retainedtilted position upon disengagement of the pinion from its rack since theresilient filler which has been radially stretched during the rearwardtilting movement of the chair back, tends to return to its normal shapecausing a forward tilting movement of the chair back.

It will thus be seen that the chair structure herein shown and describedis attractive in appearance, light in weight yet rugged in construction,comfortable in use and reasonably economical in manufacture and whilebut one specific embodiment of the invention has been herein shown anddescribed, it will be understood that certain details of theconstruction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from thespirit of this invention as the same is defined by the following claim.

I claim:

A chair structure comprising: a frame; a forwardly-rearwardly tiltableback having a recess extending inwardly from its side; means forturnably mounting the back on the frame including a pivot pin having anouter end portion pivoted on the frame and an inner end portionextending into the recess and having a sleeve of resilient materialsecured thereon and within said recess for yieldingly resisting thetilting movement of the back, said outer end portion of the pivot pinhaving a threaded extension with a nut turnable into engagement with theframe for clamping the pivot pin non-turnably thereon.

EDWIN T. TODD.

